1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wrist, forearm, and elbow supporting device to be used when using a keyboard or a mouse or when performing tasks in an assembly process requiring the use of the hands in front of the user or requiring resting the elbows, forearms and/or the wrists on a table. The device is designed to reduce pain and tenderness which develops in the neck, shoulder, forearm, wrist, and hand region of individuals who are performing repetitive tasks.
2. Background Information
With the increased use of separate keyboards, such as those used with personal computers, greater numbers of office personnel have been experiencing problems with their hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders, necks, and backs. One of the most common of these problems has been called carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes numbness, tingling, and loss of strength in the hands and wrists.
The carpal tunnel is an area that is situated at a point approximately midway between the two lower arm bones, the ulna and the radius, and below the multiple wrist bones. Thus, the wrist bones form the top surface of the tunnel and the ulna and radius form the side walls of the tunnel. The carpal tunnel is a common region for localized pain, inflammation, strain, and injury because it is the location of both the median nerve and the associated flexor tendons, as they pass from the forearm to the fingers.
In an effort to relieve some of the symptoms associated with increased keyboard use, a number of support devices have been developed to support the hands and the wrists when using a keyboard. These devices have been designed to allegedly help release the pressure and vibration on the nerves and associated tendons passing through the carpal tunnel.
Generally most of these support devices are elongated, flat, padded wrist supports that are placed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the keyboard. The user places the wrists on the support while using the keyboard. The surfaces of these devices support the wrists by having the entire ventral surface of the wrists in contact with the supporting device. These devices do not provide a means to relieve the direct constant pressure to the area of the carpal region and do not provide the means of support needed to reduce the pressure and compression on the median nerve and its associated tendons. Examples of such "constant pressure devices" are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,072,905; 5,125,606; 5,131,614; 5,163,646; and 4,973,176.
The supporting device of the present invention has specific design features to distinguish it from the prior art devices. These unique features provide support for the arm by contacting only particular support structures of the body which are not subject to pressure and compression; and yet provide a specific selective means of supportive contact with other parts of the body which are not subject to pressure and compression. Thus, the present invention provides an improved support device which is used to support the hand, wrist, forearm and upper arm area of a user in a unique way without subjecting soft tissues and neural tissues to pressure and compression, thereby reducing pain and tenderness which results from performing repetitive tasks involving the fingers, wrists, forearms and arm muscles.